A year passed in the blink of an eye.
The news that Yu Tianjue's Martial Soul had undergone a second mutation and that he had obtained a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his first ring had not reached many clan members. Only Yu Yuanzhen, his father, Yu Tianheng, and a handful of others knew.
Yu Yuanzhen strictly forbade anyone from coming to disturb him, so Yu Tianjue spent the year in peace.
Just as Yu Yuanzhen had expected, after absorbing the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, his Soul Power Level had leaped to thirteen. After a year had passed, he had already reached level sixteen, and it wouldn't be long before he broke through to level seventeen.
Of course, what delighted Yu Tianjue most was that the date of his next Simulation was fast approaching.
In his first Simulation, he had obtained the Ultimate Ice attribute, the Three Absolutes of the Snow Empress, and the Ice Crystal Necklace. He wondered what kind of life he would simulate the second time, and what rewards he would receive...
In the past, Yu Tianjue would use the evenings to meditate and cultivate his Soul Power.
But to make sure he was in the best possible condition for tomorrow's Simulation, Yu Tianjue went to bed early.
Before long, the quiet room filled with the sound of Yu Tianjue's peaceful breathing.
The moonlight was as clear as water, the night quiet and tranquil.
Pure white moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a soft, gentle glow. And entering the room along with the moonlight was a graceful figure.
Ice Empress.
Throughout the past year, she had silently watched over Yu Tianjue, watching him train diligently and seeing him bicker and play around with Yu Tianheng.
"Tianjue..."
Ice Empress appeared at Yu Tianjue's bedside, her voice so soft it was as if she feared waking him.
Ice Empress lowered her head and quietly studied the face that looked exactly as it had in her dream. Her hand involuntarily rose to her chest. Over the past year, she had often dreamed the same dream, reliving everything in it again and again.
Her feelings for Yu Tianjue now were no weaker than the feelings she'd had for him in the dream—in fact, they were even stronger.
Perhaps Xue'er felt the same way...
Ice Empress sighed softly. Without realizing it, her delicate white hand had come to rest against Yu Tianjue's cheek, gently caressing it.
Feeling the warmth of his skin, the familiar shape of his face, the same scent—
Ice Empress couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She thought she understood why her counterpart in the dream had chosen to sacrifice herself for Tianjue without hesitation.
At first, she had only hoped to get through her tribulation with Tianjue's help. In the end, though, she had willingly given herself up so that Tianjue could successfully become a god.
It wasn't only because Tianjue would be able to help Xue'er overcome her great tribulation after becoming a god. It was also because of those feelings her counterpart in the dream had refused to acknowledge until the day she died.
"Tianjue, none of what happened in that dream will ever happen again."
Perhaps he had felt Ice Empress's touch, or heard her gentle voice. Yu Tianjue turned over and pressed her hand beneath his cheek, as if savoring its cool touch and faint scent.
Ice Empress's cheeks flushed slightly.
She could even feel Tianjue's warm breath against her skin. Instinctively, Ice Empress wanted to pull her hand away.
But just as she was about to withdraw it, Ice Empress hesitated.
Tianjue had trained hard all year, and she didn't want him to know she was by his side. So this was the first time she had ever been so close to Yu Tianjue.
Letting Tianjue rest his head on her hand like this... wasn't so bad.
It wasn't until the sun rose the next morning that Ice Empress gave Yu Tianjue one last, lingering look, slowly withdrew her hand, and left his room.
But before leaving, Ice Empress furrowed her brow slightly.
For some reason, she suddenly had a bad feeling—one she rather disliked.
It was like a child having their favorite toy snatched away.
Only after Ice Empress had left did Yu Tianjue slowly open his eyes and stretch languidly.
Soon, Yu Tianjue realized that something seemed off.
The left and right sides of his face felt... different.
The sun had warmed his left cheek, but his right cheek was cold, as if he'd slept with an ice block beneath it all night.
Could I have released Xiao Hei in my sleep and slept with it as a pillow all night?
Yu Tianjue was puzzled, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he eagerly activated the Simulation System.
The 365-day cooldown had finally ended.
[ Ding— ]
[One available simulation detected.]
[Simulation starting...]
[Loading worldline...]
[Life Simulation officially begins.]
After waiting for a whole year, he could finally begin his second Simulation!
He hoped the final score and rewards wouldn't disappoint...
[Amid the expectations of a crowd, you were born.]
[As a baby, you had no idea how illustrious your background was. All you saw was a kindly face smiling down at you, along with a dashing middle-aged man and an exceptionally tall, emaciated old man.]
[You were named Chen Tianjue.]
Chen Tianjue?
Wait a second...
So those three figures just now were Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Ning Fengzhi, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong?
In the previous Life Simulation, the Snow Empress had adopted him. This time, he was Sword Douluo's grandson...
So was this Life Simulation just about experiencing all sorts of transmigrators' lives?
[You became Sword Douluo Chen Xin's grandson. Unfortunately, your father had died of illness before you were born, and your mother had passed away during childbirth.]
[All that remained was you, still swaddled in your blankets, and Chen Xin, who had only each other.]
[After a brief period of grief, Chen Xin devoted all his time and energy to you. He hoped you would inherit his talent and become an outstanding sword prodigy.]
[And you lived up to Chen Xin's hopes. Even at a young age, you showed remarkable intelligence, and by the age of four, you had begun swinging a wooden sword you'd made yourself. What troubled you, though, was that a tiny figure always appeared beside you whenever you swung your wooden sword.]
[Ning Rongrong, the only daughter of Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, would always sit or squat nearby with her chin propped in her hands, watching you practice your swordsmanship.]
[Confused, you went to ask her about it. Her answer was simply that she thought you were very handsome, so she wanted to watch you practice.]
[You were at a loss, but when Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Ning Fengzhi saw this, they burst into laughter and even teased you.]
[Left with no choice, you had to pretend Ning Rongrong wasn't there and continue sweating through your practice day after day.]
[Before long, the day of Martial Soul Awakening arrived. You and Ning Rongrong had both reached the age to awaken your Martial Souls.]